Venetian blind



y 25, 1964 E. LANDENBERGER 3,134,427

VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. 4, 1959 INVENTOR. E UGEN LA NDENBERGER BY mumATTORNEYS United States Patent Oflice 3,134,427 Patented May 26, 19643,134,427 VENETIAN BLIND Eugen Landenberger, Bruhlgasse 48, St. Gallen,Switzerland Filed Dec. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 857,430 Claims priority,application Switzerland Dec. 9, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 160-168) The presentinvention relates to a device for operating freely suspended Venetianblinds, and the principal objects of the invention are to provide adevice which is of a very simple construction and easily operated forraising and lowering the slats of the blind and to permit the slats tobe adjusted to any desired angle when the slats are lowered.

These objects are attained according to the invention by means of atleast one cordlike push-pull element, one end of which is connected tothe lowest slat of the blind and is guided within a cable coveringleading to an operating mechanism which may be mounted at any suitablepoint remote from the blind. This operating mechanism comprises a ropepulley over which the push-pull element is looped and which may berotated in either direction by a suitable source of power to open orclose the blind. Each rope pulley is preferably provided with corrugatedinner walls so as to engage more firmly the cordlike pushpull element toprevent the latter from siipping on the pulley.

The invention further provides that, for adjusting the slats of theblind to difierent angles, the straps carrying the slats are secured toa shaft which may be rotated in either direction about an angle ofapproximately 180 by means of a further cordlike push-pull element whichis driven by another rope pulley.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the adjustment of theangle of the blind slats may also be attained by pivotably mounting abar on the upper supporting bar of the blind and by passing thepush-pull element through this pivotable bar and frictionally engagingthe same thereto so that, when the push-pull element is actuated tolower the slats, the mentioned bar, and thus also all of the slatsunderneath the same, may be pivoted downwardly to the desired angle.

Another feature of the invention consists in making the corrugated wallsof each pulley of a resilient material, and in providing a conical platespring at the outside of each pulley wall to press the same slightlyinwardly and into engagement with the push-pull element.

Each push-pull element according to the invention consists of a highlypolymerized synthetic material and is preferably passed behind theholding straps of the blind and through suitable aligned apertures inthe blind slats to the bottom slat.

The operating mechanism of the Venetian blind according to the inventionis preferably driven by an electric motor which is controlled by a gearwheel which is connected to a pinion on the driven shaft of aspeedreduction gear which also carries the drive pulley of the push-pullelement. This gear wheel is provided with a pair of pins which projectinto an arcuate slot in a disk which is rotatably mounted on the shaftof the gear wheel. These pins are disposed in the slot at a shortdistance from the opposite ends thereof so as to permit a certain amountof free play between the disk and the gear wheel before the latter willtake along the disk in one or the other direction. This disk is providedwith a camlike projection which is adapted to engage with the bifurcatedend of a pivotable switch lever which is adapted to interrupt the motorcircuit and at the same time to reverse the circuit connection so that,when the motor is again switched on, it will run in the oppositedirection.

If several parallel push-pull elements are to be used simultaneously,they should be prevented from shifting relative to each other. It istherefore advisable to connect the free parallel ends of these elementsrigidly to each other after they emerge from the rope pulleys, forexample, by passing them through a common cable covering.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become further apparent from the following detaileddescription thereof, particularly when the same is read with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a perspective front view of a Venetian blind which isoperated by two push-pull elements;

FIGURE 2 shows a side view of the operating mechanism of the Venetianblind according to FIGURE 1 in partly broken away housing;

FIGURE 3 shows an end view of the control device of the operatingmechanism as seen in the direction of arrows IIII in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 shows a side view of the Venetian blind according to FIGURE 1,but in the raised position with the slats extending horizontally;

FIGURE 5 shows a side view similar to FIGURE 4, but with the blind inthe closed or lowered position in which the slats extend at an inclinedangle;

FIGURE 6 shows a view similar to FIGURE 1 with a modification of thecontrol device for adjusting the angular position of the slats; whileFIGURE 7 shows a cross section taken along line VIVI of FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawings, the Venetian blind according to the inventionis operated by two stifl but flexible cordlike push-pull elements 1,each consisting of a highly polymerized synthetic material, for example,polyamide, which is guided in a cable covering 2. These push-pull cables1 lead from a supporting bar 5 to an operating mechanism 3 which may bemounted in a suitable housing at any desired point remote from theblind. This operating mechanism comprises a pair of rope pulleys 4, eachof which has one push-pull element 1 looped around it with free ends 1aof the push-pull elements extending from the other sides of the pulleys.The inner surfaces of rope pulleys 4 are corrugated so as to exert agripping action upon the push-pull elements 1. In order to increase thisgripping action so that the driving force will be securely transmittedto the push-pull elements 1, the side walls of each rope pulley 4 arepreferably resilient and compressed toward each other by conical platesprings 30.

The operating mechanism 3 further comprises an electric motor 8 which isconnected through a speed-reduction gear 31 to rope pulleys 4 to drivethe same. The cable covering 2 of each push-pull element 1 is secured atone end in a fixed position in the housing of the operating mechanism 3and at the other end at 11 to the supporting bar 5.

The two push-pull elements 1 leading within their cable 3 coverings 2from their respective rope pulleys 4 to the supporting bar 5 extendthrough the latter and then pass freely through apertures 32 in theslats 13 of the Venetian blind to a bar 26 which forms the lowest slatof the blind and to which the ends of elements 1 are secured. In orderto prevent the free parallel ends of the two push-pull elements 1 comingfrom rope pulleys 4 from shifting relative to each other when the blindis raised or lowered and to enable the cables 1 to act together, thefree ends of the cables may be firmly connected to each other by passingthrough a common cable cover ing 25.

The individual blind slats13 are connected to each other in theconventional manner by straps or cords 23, the ends of which are securedto an additional bar 16, seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, and the lower bar 26.

In order to incline slats 13 when the slats are lowered, the uppersupporting bar 5 is provided with the additional bar 16, as shownparticularly in FIGURES 4 and 5, which is connected thereto so as to bepivotable downwardly to the desired angle of inclination of slats 13.The two push-pull elements 1 passing through bar 16 are frictionallyengaged in a slot 17 thereto by means of a clamping spring 15 in a slot17 which permits the slats 13 to be pivoted from the horizontal positionof 7 FIGURE 4 to a nearly vertical position as in FIGURE .sl-ats 13 tobe pivoted to any desired angle Within a range of nearly 180. In orderto turn shaft 34 about such an'angle, a further push-pull element 35 maybe provided which runs over a third rope pulley, not shown,

which is similar to pulleys 4. This push-pull element extends in cablecoverings 37- between the housing of the operating mechanism 3 and aholding member 36 which is provided underneath shaft 34, and the freeends of element 35 are secured by a clamp 38 to a pulley 18 which servesa control element for the operation of motor 8 and is provided with anarcuate slot 19 into which two pins 20 project which are secured to gearwheel 7 and areadapted to take along disk 18 with a certain amount offree play in either direction.

Disk 18 is further provided with a cam 21 which is adapted to cooperatewith the bifurcated end of a switch lever 22 to interrupt the motorcircuit and to change the direction of rotation of the motor."

The apparatus as above described may be controlled by one or moreswitches which may be mounted at any desired point. When these switchesare operated, the

electric motor will be started, whereby through gear 6,

7 the drive pulley 4 will be rotated, for example, in the direction asshown by arrow b in FIGURE 3, and the 'push-pull elements 1 will pushapart the slats 13 and on, the latter will run in the opposite directionand operate the blind accordingly.

Although in the drawings each blind is operated by only one pair ofpush-pull elements 1 and the corresponding rope pulley 4, three or moresuch elements and pulleys may be provided in the same manner de pendingupon the width of the Venetian blind. However, the same operatingmechanism may also be used for raising or lowering several blindssimultaneously.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with referenceto the preferred embodiments thereofi l wish to have it understood thatit is in no way limited tothe details of such embodiments, but iscapable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a Venetian blind having an upper supporting bar,

said pulley, a source of power for rotating said rope.

pulley in either direction for, opening and closing said blind, saidsource of power comprising anelectric motor having a shaft, a speedreduction gear drivingly connecting said motor shaft'and said pulleyshaft, a pinion on said pulley shaft, a third shaft having a gear wheelwith projections mounted thereon with said gear wheel engaging saidpinion, a disc rotatably mounted on said third shaft and having anarcuate slot therein, said projections on said gear wheel engaging withthe certain amount of end play into said arcuate slot, said disc alsohaving a projection thereon, a pivotally mounted switch lever having abifurcated end engageable with said projection on said disc, and meansoperated by said switch lever for interrupting the motor circuit and forsimultaneously reversing the circuit connection so that when said motoris again switched on it will rotate inthe opposite direction. a

2. In a device for opening, closing andangularly 'positioning of aVenetian blind, the combination of a plu-. rality of superimposed slats,a plurality of straps spacedly interconnecting said slats, a supportingbar, a lower bar under the lowermost of said slats with said strapsbeing attached thereto, a second bar pivotally mounted on saidsupporting bar and pivotable downwardly therefrom to a predeterminedangle to adjust said'slats to an angleof inclination, said straps beingattached to said second bar and said slats being suspended therefrom, apush-pull element having one end passing through said second bar andthrough said slats and attached to said lower bar, means on said secondbar for frictionally engagingsaid push-pull element to said bar wherebysaid push-pull element is free to move through said second bar but,

will simultaneously move saidv second bar therewith through the angle ofinclination, an operating mechanism having a motor, a rope pulley havingcorrugated inner surfaces and being driven by said motor, said pushpullelement being firmly engaged between the walls of said rope pulley andsaid rope pulley being adapted to be driven in either direction foropening and closing of the Venetian blind.

3. In a device for opening and closing and angularly positioning of aVenetian blind, the combination of a supporting bar, a shaft mounted onsaid supporting bar, a plurality of straps secured to said shaft andextending downwardly past said supporting bar, a plurality ofsuperimposed slats and a lower bar spacedly interconnected by saidstraps, a rope pulley driven by a source of power,

a push-pull element operatively connected between said pulley and saidshaft for. rotating said shaft through an angle of approximately 180 totilt said slats, a second push-pull element having one end attached tosaid lower bar and extending through said slats, a second bar pivotallymounted on said supporting bar and pivotable downwardly therefrom to apredetermined angle for adjusting said slats to an angle of inclination,said second push-pull element passing through said second bar, means onsaid second bar for frictionally engaging said push-pull element to saidbar whereby movement of the push-pull element will move the second bartherewith, a rope pulley having corrugated inner surfaces and driven bya motor, said second push-pull element being firmly engaged between thewalls of said rope pulley and said rope pulley being adapted to bedriven by said motor in either direction for opening and closing of theVenetian blind.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,611,845 Allen Dec. 21, 1926 2,124,333 Duff et al July 17, 19382,149,481 Bosch et al. Mar. 7, 1939 2,231,778 Swanson Feb. 11, 19412,280,642 Agerell et a1 Apr. 21, 1942 2,565,979 Michaelsen Aug. 28, 19512,701,012 Loucony Feb. 1, 1955

1. IN A VENETIAN BLIND HAVING AN UPPER SUPPORTING BAR, A PLURALITY OFSUPERIMPOSED SLATS, FLEXIBLE STRAPS CONNECTING SAID SLATS TO SAID UPPERSUPPORTING BAR, A CORD-LIKE PUSH-PULL ELEMENT HAVING ONE END PORTIONEXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLATS AND ATTACHED TO THE LOWERMOST SLAT, A CABLECOVERING ENCLOSING AND GUIDING SAID PUSH-PULL ELEMENT, AN OPERATINGMECHANISM MOUNTED AT A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID BLIND AND HAVING A SHAFT,A ROPE PULLEY HAVING CORRUGATED SIDES MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, THE OTHEREND PORTION OF SAID PUSH-PULL ELEMENT BEING HOOKED AROUND SAID PULLEY, ASOURCE OF POWER FOR ROTATING SAID ROPE PULLEY IN EITHER DIRECTION FOROPENING AND CLOSING SAID BLIND, SAID SOURCE OF POWER COMPRISING ANELECTRIC MOTOR HAVING A SHAFT, A SPEED REDUCTION GEAR DRIVINGLYCONNECTING SAID MOTOR SHAFT AND SAID PULLEY SHAFT, A PINION ON SAIDPULLEY SHAFT, A THIRD SHAFT HAVING A GEAR WHEEL WITH PROJECTIONS MOUNTEDTHEREON WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL ENGAGING SAID PINION, A DISC ROTATABLYMOUNTED ON SAID THIRD SHAFT AND HAVING AN ARCUATE SLOT THEREIN, SAIDPROJECTIONS ON SAID GEAR WHEEL ENGAGING WITH THE CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ENDPLAY INTO SAID ARCUATE SLOT, SAID DISC ALSO HAVING A PROJECTION THEREON,A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED SWITCH LEVER HAVING A BIFURCATED END ENGAGEABLE WITHSAID PROJECTION ON SAID DISC, AND MEANS OPERATED BY SAID SWITCH LEVERFOR INTERRUPTING THE MOTOR CIRCUIT AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY REVERSING THECIRCUIT CONNECTION SO THAT WHEN SAID MOTOR IS AGAIN SWITCHED ON IT WILLROTATE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.